Indicator.



W. D. STANTON.

INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 3. 1908.

955,712, Patentd Apr. 19, mm

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/ I I I I I 1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I WW/I/MWWW l/A W/TNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

ANDREW a GRAHAM c0. Mmmumosmmzss, WASHINGTON, 01c.

wi D. STANTON.

INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. 1908. 955,71 2. Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

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' WITNESSES [MENTOR A TTOHNE Y8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER D. STANTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INDICATOR.

Application filed November 3, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVALTER D. STANTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Indicator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to indicators for cash registers and similar devices, and relates more particularly to an indicator comprising a plurality of members adapted to telescope, and each having a plurality of faces upon which are indicated values, the values of the different members being dif ferent, and the telescopic members being so arranged that they are normally concealed and are each adapted to be projected into a position so that the faces can be viewed from a plurality of points.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and efiicient indicator for cash registers and similar machines, which is so constructed that the values thereon can be viewed from difiierent directions when the indicator is projected into a transparent part of the register casing, and in which each indicator consists of a plurality of telescopically arranged units, thereby conserving space and reducing the size of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an indicator in which the telescopically arranged value-presenting numbers constitute a series, so that a number of the indicators can be combined in one machine to constitute different series of values.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate coresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure I is a longitudinal section of a cash register having an embodiment of my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of a part of the register having a number of indicators of my invention included therein; Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of one of the indicators showing a member projected therefrom; Fig. i is an enlarged plan view of an indicator; and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

Serial No. 460,807.

section of a part of a cash register having applied thereto an indicator of modified form.

Before proceeding to a more detailed explanation of my invention, it should be clearly understood that while the same is particularly useful in connection with cash registers, it can also be advantageously employed in other machines wherein indicators which are normally concealed and are adapted to be displayed from time to time, are used. In the accompanying drawings I have shown for example, indicators, each of which consists of a number of telescopic members of substantially rectangular section. It will be understood that the form of these members may be different; they may for example, be rounded. As long as each of these members presents a plurality of faces upon each of which can be inscribed or otherwise designated, desired values, it will answer the purpose equally as well as the indicators shown in the drawings.

Any suitable mechanism can be employed for projecting the indicator members of my invention, and I do not wish to limit myself to the specific details of construction shown for example, herewith, as these details can be varied without departing from the underlying spirit of the invention. Preferably, the register or other machine casing which normally conceals the indicators, has a transparent portion into which the indicator members can be projected. For example, the casing may have a glass hood through which the projected indicator members can be viewed from different directions.

It is clearly of advantage to have the indicators of a cash register or similar machine so constructed that the values thereon can be read from distant points in various directions from the machine, thereby obviating the necessity of approaching the machine closely to ascertain the values. My invention provides means for obviating this difficulty and as I prefer to employ a glass hood, the indicators can be seen not only from the front and the back of the register but from the sides as well.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I employ a cash register or other casing 10 of any suitable form and inclosing the register mechanism 11. This mechanism may be of any suitable type and includes the keys 12 by means of which it is manipulated. The upper part 18 of the casing is constricted and contains the telescopic indi cators 13 of my invention. Operating rods l-l control the indicators 13 and are in turn controlled by the keys 12. Upon the part 18 of the casing is mounted a hood 15 of glass or other transparent material into which the indicator members can be projected so that they become visible when the corresponding keys of the register are pressed.

Each indicator 13 in the form of the de vice shown in Figs. 3 and t consists of a plurality of rectangular members or boxes 16. These boxes are of different sizes so that they can easily telescope, one within the other, each resting upon the bottom of the member which encompasses it when they are telescoped. The rods 14 are each rigidly secured to the bottom of one of the members 16 and pass through registering openings of the other members into which the respective members to which they are secured, telescope; consequently, with this form of the device when a. certain key is pressed, the corresponding rod l-it elevates the member to which it is secured and the latter carries with it the members therewithin, the outer members remaining in their depressed and concealed positions. If so desired, the corners of the members may be outwardly disposed so that the members can telescope snugly one within the other, as shown most clearly in Fig. at, and to hold the sides of the members spaced to prevent the sides from rubbing against each other when the members are projected and thus to prevent in jury to the numbers presented by the sides of the members. It will be understood that if the sides of the members come into engagement during operation, the numbers which often consist of embossed figures might be injured or elfaced.

In Fig. 5 is shown a form of the indicator in which the members can be projected independently of the other members telescoped therein. In this form of the device the rods 1st are rearwardly offset and are flattened. Each red at the offset part is rigidly secured at a wall of an indicator member and is flush with this wall so that it can pass between the corresponding walls of the members next inside and next outside of the member to which the rod in question is secured. As the members in this form of the device are open at the bottom, each member can be independently projected.

Each of the members on the faces thereof has values 17 indicated or inscribed thereon. Each of the indicators preferably comprises a series of values; for example, the first indicator may include the values from 1 to 5, the second indicator the values from (3 to 10, the third those from 11 to 15, and so on. The arrangement of these series forms no part of the invention and may be varied to suit individual preference and special conditions. Similarly, the method of inscribing or indicating the values may be of any suitable nature.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An indicator comprising a plurality of telescopically assembled members each having a value indicated thereon, and each adapted to be projected from a. concealed posit-ion, and having means whereby said projected member carries with. it said members telescoped therein.

2. The combination, with a casing having a constricted upper part, and a hood of transparent material mounted upon said upper part of the casing, of an indicator comprising a plurality of telescopic members, said members being normally in depressed position and concealed within the said constricted part of the casing and when in said depressed, concealed positions, being telescoped, and means for elevating each of said members into said transparent hood, said members having inscriptions thereon.

3. An indicator, comprising a plurality of members telescopically arranged and each of angular cross section, each of said members at the edges having outwardly-extending ribs adapted to engage an adjacent one of said members whereby said men'ibcrs have the faces spaced when said members are telescoped.

l. An indicator comprising a plurality of members normally concealed each having a value imlicated thereon, each of said members being adapted to be projected from a concealed position, certain of said members being carried up by other members when the latter are projected, whereby said other members serve to conceal said certain members when projected.

In a cash register, a series of keys, a series of bars vertically operative thereby, each bar carrying a tube, said tubes telescoping with each other and having on different sides indicating characters.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER I). STANTON. lVitnesses JOHN K. BRACHVOGEL, JOHN P. 1)AVIS. 

